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Saint Helena council declares Adams Street parcel surplus, excluding library
Summary
After hours of public comment and debate, the City Council voted to declare the 5.6-acre Adams Street parcel surplus under the Surplus Land Act, excluding the library parcel; the decision launches a 60‑day notice of availability process to solicit affordable-housing proposals before broader disposition.
The Saint Helena City Council voted to declare the Adams Street parcel surplus under the state Surplus Land Act, excluding the library portion, opening a statutorily required 60‑day notice period to affordable housing providers. The vote came after a multi-hour staff presentation, extended public comment and a council deliberation that split on preservation, housing and fiscal priorities.
Staff presentations from the city manager and planning/finance staff described the 5.6‑acre parcel as zoned central business, listed an updated appraisal of about $18,000,000 and said prior proposals had valued the property higher in earlier market conditions. Staff outlined the SLA process: if declared surplus the city must send notice of availability to hundreds of housing providers registered with the California Housing and Community Development (HCD) agency, wait 60 days for responses, and — if a qualifying affordable-housing proposal arrives — negotiate in good faith for 90 days before deciding whether to sell under housing terms or resume other disposition steps. If no qualifying proposal is received the city may proceed with sale or other uses outside the SLA constraints.
Residents and community groups largely urged caution. Dozens of public commenters said Adams Street functions as town open space and urged more planning and financial analysis before disposal; others argued the city faces structural fiscal pressure and the parcel is one of the few assets capable of generating material revenue or enabling workforce housing. Speakers flagged competing priorities: parks and the library’s setting, housing availability for workers, possible hotel development and longer timelines to realize transient-occupancy-tax revenue.
Council discussion focused on three issues: whether the parcel is “no longer necessary for public use” (the statutory trigger for surplus designation), whether the library parcel should be included, and how the SLA process aligns with the council’s housing and fiscal goals. The city attorney advised that declaring surplus is a policy judgment — the council finds a parcel is not necessary for public use — and that the SLA’s purpose is to give affordable-housing providers a first opportunity to acquire publicly owned land. Several council members said they favored taking the procedural first step and seeing what responses the SLA process produces; others said they wanted more analysis and community planning before committing to a surplus finding.
By roll call the council approved the staff recommendation to declare the Adams Street parcel surplus while excluding the library parcel; Vice Mayor Deasy was recorded as the lone 'No.' The council directed staff to issue the notice of availability and return with any responsive proposals and associated next steps.
Next steps: staff will issue the SLA notice (statutory 60‑day response period) and report back to the council on any qualifying affordable-housing proposals; if proposals are received the council will enter a 90‑day good‑faith negotiation period before any sale. If no qualifying housing proposals arrive, the council may direct a different disposition process.
